This course is designed to provide an intensive graduate-level introduction to the structure and dynamics of the U.S. environmental policy process. It is concerned both with policy formation – how proposals for action win sufficient support to be approved – and policy implementation – how policies and programs are actually put into effect. The course is intended primarily for students entering graduate or professional study in environmental policy, planning, and management or related fields.

The course will meet for two 1-1/2 hour lecture sessions & one discussion section per week.  On days when case discussions are the primary focus, we will use our joint understanding of a policy issue and the policy process to examine what happened and why, and discuss what actors should do in a particular situation. The case discussions provide real settings to apply ideas about the policy process, probe historical behavior, and test strategy.